Fishing

Ask most Americans to describe Florida and a number of iconic images come to mind. But to reduce the Sunshine State to Mickey Mouse and the glitz and glamour of Miami's South Beach is to miss the very best that this remarkable place has to offer.

A crowd was gathering on the docks located at Istokpoga Marina as the first hint of daylight appeared to the east under the Spanish moss hanging from the cypress trees that surround this Florida fishing gem.

When word came that the Jack Link's Major League Fishing 2013 GEICO Challenge Cup would be held on Florida's Lake Istokpoga, most observers immediately penciled in Floridians Bobby Lane and Shaw Grigsby as pre-tournament favorites.

Standing on the dock at Istokpoga Marina as the first light of dawn began to glow on the eastern horizon just off the Florida coast, a popular question being asked was this: does Lake Okeechobee knowledge help or hurt this week on Lake Istokpoga?

As I look back on my angling experiences from my youth, there are few memories that grab me like the ones spent fishing for suckers on the banks of a river. Now that I am a few years older, I still relish opportunities to make withdrawals from meandering water.

Captain Bo Johnson and First Mate Deidra Bridger are not only repeat champions of "Madfin Shark Series" on Outdoor Channel, but happen to be in a relationship that works very well, together as a team both at their job, and on the water.